


Carols and Cons

by Alette



Series: Winter Warmth, Winter Fluff [3]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:58:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17140520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alette/pseuds/Alette
Summary: Han Sanghyuk is caught in a war with a very annoying, very handsome scam artist.(Alternatively, Lee Jaehwan needs to be paid for his caroling)





	Carols and Cons

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to all!

Knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.

Sanghyuk groaned. What the hell? What kind of nightmare was this?

The knocking continued, getting more and more persistent. It wasn’t a dream. It was way too loud to be a dream. Sanghyuk forced his eyes open and rubbed them until he could at least half-see. Seven a.m. Seven freaking a.m.

It was Christmas break, and he was sure at least half the apartments on his floor were empty, everyone having gone home for the holidays. Who the hell needed to see Sanghyuk so urgently, and at seven in the morning? Was it Hakyeon? Had he come to make Sanghyuk pay for not attending his party the week before? He’d had a cold! Was he supposed to show up in a blanket burrito, toting his Totoro hot water bottle like some fashion accessory?

He groaned and forced himself out of bed, making his way to the front door, where the knocking continued without rest. Sanghyuk unlocked the door and pulled it open.

It wasn’t Hakyeon. It was a guy, someone Sanghyuk didn’t think he’d ever seen before in his life. He was pretty tall—not as tall as Sanghyuk, but not much shorter, so pretty tall—and had black hair. He was dressed like Christmas had thrown up on him. Red and green everywhere, big clumps of what looked like holly, with spots of white that were probably snowflake patterns. Sanghyuk didn’t know. He was so sleepy he could barely see.

“Good morning,” said the stranger, and oh wow his voice was _loud,_  way too loud for seven in the morning. “My name is Lee Jaehwan.”

“Uh,” said Sanghyuk brilliantly. His brain was 20% awake, max.

Lee Jaehwan cleared his throat, and then started singing. “ _Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la! ’Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la!_ ”

His voice was clear and _loud_. Sanghyuk stood in the doorway, sleep-addled brain trying to process. What was going on?

“ _Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la la la la la la!_ ” Jaehwan sang. “ _Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, fa la la la la la la la_ —”

“Wha’? Who are you?” asked Sanghyuk, but Jaehwan either didn’t hear or pretended he hadn’t, still singing at full volume. “Wait, stop,” said Sanghyuk, louder this time, loud enough for Jaehwan to stop. “What are you doing?”

Jaehwan looked at Sanghyuk like he was stupid. “Caroling.”

“It’s seven a.m,” said Sanghyuk.

Still that same look. “And?” asked Jaehwan.

“And?” repeated Sanghyuk in disbelief. “Who goes caroling at seven a.m?”

“I do,” said Jaehwan. “ _See the blazing yule before us, fa la la la la la la la_ —”

“No, stop,” interrupted Sanghyuk. “You can’t—you can’t be caroling.”

“And why not?” asked Jaehwan.

“Because,” said Sanghyuk helplessly. There were so many things wrong with the scenario he couldn’t even begin to list them all. It was seven in the morning. He lived on the fourth floor of an apartment complex. No one went caroling in Seoul. It was _seven in the morning_. “You’re supposed to carol in a group,” he finally said limply.

“Lee Jaehwan doesn’t need a group,” said Jaehwan. “ _Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la la la la la la_!”

Sanghyuk gave up. There was no stopping this Jaehwan guy. He let him sing, hoping the song wasn’t too long.

Fortunately it was just six or seven lines more, and then Jaehwan was done singing, clapping applause for himself. Sanghyuk barely remembered to do the same.

“Great job,” he said, already moving back to close the door. “You have a great voice. Merry Christmas!”

He tried to close the door, but a foot wedged between the door and frame, and it was forced open. “Don’t you have something for me?” asked Jaehwan, voice cheery and bright.

“I told you, you did great,” said Sanghyuk. He needed to sleep, like ten minutes ago.

“Thank you,” said Jaehwan. “I’ll give you a moment to go find your wallet.”

Sanghyuk was lost. “What?”

“Your wallet,” repeated Jaehwan brightly. “For my tip.”

“ _What_?”

“You’re supposed to donate to carolers,” said Jaehwan, as though it were obvious.

“I’m not giving you any money,” said Sanghyuk, incredulous at how shameless this guy was. “You literally came up to my door and woke me up. I’m not paying you for that!”

“No, you’re paying me for my lovely voice,” said Jaehwan cheerily.

“You’re mental,” said Sanghyuk. “I’m going back to sleep.”

Again he tried to close the door, and again Jaehwan forced his foot in the gap. He tried to force it open again, but this time Sanghyuk was determined, and put his weight on the door, trying to get it to shut. “You’re not paying me for my services,” said Jaehwan shrilly, still trying to open the door. “That is illegal!”

“You’re trying to rob me, _that’s_ illegal,” shot back Sanghyuk.

“I am trying to collect my donation!”

“The whole point of a donation is that it’s voluntary,” said Sanghyuk, still struggling with the door. Damn, Jaehwan was strong. “I am not volunteering. Get lost, you damn scam artist.”

With one strong, final push, Sanghyuk got the door shut and immediately locked it. It shook once, and then he heard Jaehwan scream in anger.

“You!” Jaehwan shrieked from the hallway. “You’ll regret this! I _will_ get my donation.”

Sanghyuk waited, worried he’d keep screaming, but there was no more. After a moment’s hesitation he opened the door, and looked left and right down the hallway. No one.

He breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door. Thank goodness that was over.

 

“ _Hark! the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’_ ”

Sanghyuk’s eyes shot open. _No._

The clock on his bedside table told him it was 6:56 a.m. He climbed out of bed, unable to believe this was happening, all while the singing continued. He reached his front door, through which the singing was coming at full volume, and opened it, already knowing what he’d see.

Jaehwan stopped singing when the door opened. “Good morning,” he said cheerily.

“Why?” asked Sanghyuk.

“You owe me a donation,” said Jaehwan, bright and chipper. “I thought I’d come and remind you of it. _Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile—_ ”

“You can’t be serious,” said Sanghyuk, having to yell to be heard over the singing. “You’re literally gonna come and ruin my mornings until I pay you?”

“I’m blessing your mornings,” said Jaehwan. “ _Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies_ —”

Sanghyuk just stood and stared. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

Jaehwan was dressed like tacky Christmas decorations incarnate, but this morning Sanghyuk was more awake, and he could actually see now. Jaehwan was handsome. Not just a little, he was really, really handsome. He had a sharp, pointed nose, dark eyes that shone under black bangs, full, plush lips. It was kind of a shame.

“So you’ll never stop?” asked Sanghyuk. “Until I pay you, you won’t let me sleep?”

Jaehwan beamed.

“Good luck with that,” said Sanghyuk. He shut the door before Jaehwan could react.

He could handle it. Sanghyuk was surprisingly patient, and if he’d survived Hakyeon’s should-I-ask-Jung-Taekwoon-out dilemma that had lasted months, he could take a few days of some singing. How long until Jaehwan got tired and gave up anyway? He just had to survive for a few minutes for maybe three more days, tops.

“Thanks!” Jaehwan yelled through the door. “This song is 30 lines long, and I’m not even straining my voice. Good luck to you too, bitch boy!”

As Jaehwan started singing again, Sanghyuk wondered if maybe he’d made a mistake.

 

Just how many Christmas carols were there?

Six days. Six whole days. On the sixth day Sanghyuk actually woke up before Jaehwan started singing. His body knew what was coming.

First he tried ignoring it. He buried his head under the pillow. He put on headphones, played TVXQ songs at full volume. No use. Jaehwan’s voice was like a spear, cutting through anything and everything. Then he tried overpowering him. He dug out his old speakers, put them on full volume, hoping to drown out Jaehwan’s voice. Again useless.

Jaehwan didn’t even have a bad voice. He actually had a really beautiful voice. It was just so _early_ , and so _loud_.

“ _It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold!_ ”

“It’s Saturday,” yelled Sanghyuk through the door. “Don’t you have something to do?”

“Nope! _Peace on the earth, good will to men from Heaven’s all gracious king_ —”

“Just leave,” said Sanghyuk desperately. He didn’t want to wake up at seven a.m. He didn’t want his body to get used to waking up at seven a.m.

“Pay me and I will!” Jaehwan yelled back. “ _The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing_ _—_ ”

“Like hell,” retorted Sanghyuk. He thought he was pretty reasonable, but he wasn’t going to be extorted by some (beautiful) scam artist. He could be stubborn when he wanted to be.

“Fine, it’s your decision!” Jaehwan called back. “ _Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled_ —”

Sanghyuk ran both hands through his hair. “What the hell are you even singing about?”

“Angels!” yelled Jaehwan. “You’d see one if you opened your front door!”

It was so brazen Sanghyuk actually opened his front door to look at Jaehwan. “Are you serious?” he demanded. “You’re trying to extort money from me and you’re an angel?”

He expected some loud answer back, or maybe for Jaehwan to start singing again. But Jaehwan put both hands under his face, puffed out his cheeks, and tilted his head, pouting all the while.

Sanghyuk stared. And then before he could stop himself, he burst into a smile.

He clapped a hand to his mouth, trying to hide it, but it was too late. Jaehwan seemed just as surprised as Sanghyuk. His eyes widened, and he froze. They stood like that awhile, just staring at each other, and then Sanghyuk said, so brilliantly, “Uh.”

That snapped Jaehwan out of it. “You’re lucky I have somewhere I need to be,” he said shrilly, but he didn’t sound as confident as he usually did. “Right now. You—I’ll be back tomorrow.”

And then he turned on his heel and hurried down the hallway. Sanghyuk stared after him, openmouthed. Had that really just happened?

He shook his head, trying to literally shake off the weird feeling, and went back inside.

 

It was seven a.m and Jaehwan hadn’t shown up yet.

Sanghyuk glanced at the clock, strained his ears. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here to be an annoying nuisance yet?

Hakyeon wanted to have breakfast with him and he'd convinced Sanghyuk. (“It’ll be an early Christmas breakfast!” “Nobody does Christmas breakfasts, hyung.” “Come or I’ll kill you.”) But it meant he’d have to leave his apartment early, at seven thirty at the latest. He didn’t want Jaehwan coming and singing to an empty apartment. That just wasn’t right.

So he waited, but Jaehwan didn’t show up. Sanghyuk was starting to get worried, actually. What if something happened to him? He wasn’t usually this late.

Finally, around 7:15 Sanghyuk had to give up, and he went to shower. His apartment was small and ratty but it had hot water, at least. He finished his quick shower and opened the bathroom door to go get his clothes, and that’s when he heard it.

“ _All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games_ …”

Sanghyuk knew this song. That wasn’t the first verse. It was the third. Jaehwan had sung two whole verses to an essentially empty apartment. Sanghyuk bolted out of the bathroom and to his front door, throwing it open.

Jaehwan jumped when he saw him, eyes widening in surprise. “You’re late,” said Sanghyuk. When Jaehwan didn’t answer, Sanghyuk said, “You should’ve been here, like, twenty minutes ago. What happened?”

Still no answer, only staring. Sanghyuk frowned, confused, wondering why Jaehwan was standing there frozen like a malfunctioning robot, until a draft snuck in from somewhere, and he shivered.

And then he remembered. Shower. Clothes. Lack of clothes.

“Shit, sorry, sorry,” said Sanghyuk quickly, rushing back inside to grab his clothes. He’d actually gone and opened the door while only wearing a towel. What kind of idiot was he?

He threw on whatever clothes he could find, and then went back to the front door, which he’d left ajar. Jaehwan was still standing in the hallway, looking up at the ceiling and murmuring something to himself.

“I am so sorry,” said Sanghyuk. “I was taking a shower and I heard you so—yeah. Sorry.”

“It’s no problem,” said Jaehwan, but his ears were scarlet. They actually stuck out on either side of his Santa hat, like an elf’s. Sanghyuk couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed them before. They were so cute.

“Why’re you late though?” asked Sanghyuk. “I thought you were gonna show up before I got in.”

“Overslept,” said Jaehwan. “Did you miss me?” He smiled devilishly, but his ears were still red.

“I was worried,” said Sanghyuk honestly.

That knocked Jaehwan off-guard. “Really?” he asked.

“You’re never late,” said Sanghyuk. “I thought maybe something happened to you.”

“No, nothing happened,” said Jaehwan, voice much quieter than usual. Sanghyuk couldn’t help but stare at his ears, fascinated. They were still red, and he kind of wanted to reach out and rub them—

“Glad to hear it,” said Sanghyuk. “I kind of have to go somewhere, so can you come back tomorrow? No point in singing to an empty apartment, right?”

“Right,” said Jaehwan, but he still looked kind of off-balance. “Right. Okay. See you tomorrow. Bitch boy.”

Sanghyuk laughed. “See you, scam artist.”

Jaehwan stood there awhile longer, just looking at Sanghyuk, then he whirled and rushed down the hallway. Sanghyuk chuckled to himself as he closed the door.

 

“ _You better watch out, you better not cry_ —”

Sanghyuk opened the door. “Morning.”

The words stuck in Jaehwan’s throat, and he choked and started coughing. Sanghyuk leaned against the door frame, waiting for it to pass.

“Do you like chocolate?” he asked, once Jaehwan was back to normal.

“What?” asked Jaehwan, looking almost flustered, if Sanghyuk believed someone like Jaehwan could get flustered.

“I ate with a friend of mine yesterday and he gave me a ton of these chocolate cookies,” said Sanghyuk. “Do you want some?”

“Sure,” said Jaehwan, and he smiled. It wasn’t a cheeky smile, or one of his scammer ones. It was warm, and genuine, and kind of made Sanghyuk feel like he was standing in the sun in summer.

He got out the plate he had ready, and offered it to Jaehwan. Jaehwan took one, and Sanghyuk decided he’d eat one as well.

“This is really good,” said Jaehwan, mouth full. “Your friend made these?”

Sanghyuk snorted. Hakyeon? Bake? Bake something edible? “No, his boyfriend made them,” he said.

Jaehwan nodded, and then the conversation died for awhile as he chewed thoughtfully. “Must be nice,” he said.

“Having a boyfriend during Christmas?” Sanghyuk grinned. “Wouldn’t know.”

“No, having someone to bake cookies for you whenever you want,” said Jaehwan, squinting at him.

“Why would you need someone to bake?” said Sanghyuk with a grin. “I can go out and buy some anytime, no problem.”

“Home-baked and store bought are not the same thing,” shrieked Jaehwan, as though Sanghyuk had suggested blasphemy.

“Then I get them from Taekwoon-hyung anytime, no problem,” said Sanghyuk, trying not to laugh.

“And me?” demanded Jaehwan. “I’m the one who needs the cookies.”

“You keep coming to my apartment, and I’ll keep giving them to you,” said Sanghyuk simply.

Somehow the conversation stopped there. Jaehwan didn’t say anything and took another cookie, looking at the floor and smiling around it. He looked sweet, almost bashful. Sanghyuk couldn’t help but watch him, entranced.

“Why did you come to me?” he asked, before he could stop himself.

Jaehwan looked up, tongue darting out to swipe crumbs off his lower lip. “Hmm?”

“Why did you show up at my apartment?” asked Sanghyuk, trying to gather his thoughts. “I mean, the first time. When you were caroling.”

“I was just going around apartments,” said Jaehwan with a shrug. “All the other ones on this floor were empty. You were the only one home. That’s how you became my victim.” He winked.

“Okay,” said Sanghyuk, smiling. “And why were you looking for victims, exactly?”

“Christmas gifts,” said Jaehwan promptly. “My friend Wonshik is coming from L.A to spend Christmas with me this year. I wanted to get him something nice.”

“Oh,” said Sanghyuk. He bit his lower lip. “Your… friend? Or…?”

Jaehwan blinked at him, not understanding, until he finally got it with a little start. “My friend,” he said firmly. “My totally only friend. Super platonic. Nothing but a friend.”

“Okay, got it,” said Sanghyuk. He didn’t say why he’d asked. Jaehwan didn’t ask why either, just took another cookie, smiling so widely his eyes crinkled up.

In the end Sanghyuk gave Jaehwan a full dozen of the cookies, in a nice bag that he may or may not have bought specifically for this. Jaehwan smiled, that beautiful summer sun smile, and then he left, not hurrying this time, but walking easily, humming a song Sanghyuk didn’t recognize but would’ve loved to hear him sing.

 

“ _On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: a partridge in a pear tree._ ”

Jaehwan didn’t sing the next line. He was waiting. Behind the door Sanghyuk grinned to himself, and then opened it.

“Good morning,” said Sanghyuk, leaning against the doorframe and smiling.

“Good morning,” said Jaehwan, smiling, so warm. “Got any more cookies for me?”

“Nope, even better,” said Sanghyuk. “I surrender. I’ll give you what I owe you for the caroling, and you don’t show up to my apartment at seven a.m anymore.”

Jaehwan’s face fell. “Oh,” he said.

“So what do I owe you, like nine days’ worth? Ten?” asked Sanghyuk.

“I don’t know,” said Jaehwan. He looked lost, sunshine dull.

“I don’t have that much money on me,” said Sanghyuk. “Is it okay if I take you out for dinner instead?”

Jaehwan looked at Sanghyuk, and blinked once, twice. “What?”

“I wanna take you out for dinner, Jaehwan,” said Sanghyuk, grinning. “Is that okay?”

There was a moment while Jaehwan stared, processing. Then he broke into a smile, a big, sunny smile that reached every corner of his beautiful features, and he nodded.

“Great,” said Sanghyuk, feeling his chest fill up with the warmth of that smile.

“Wait,” said Jaehwan quickly. “I have to ask you something first.”

“Sure, anything,” said Sanghyuk.

“Um… what’s your name?”

Sanghyuk stared at Jaehwan, and then he burst out laughing. “Sanghyuk,” he finally said, when he could talk. “My name’s Han Sanghyuk.”

“Okay, Sanghyuk,” said Jaehwan, smiling. The name sounded prettier with his voice. “I will go to dinner with you. Since you’re obviously dying for my company.”

Sanghyuk just laughed and nodded. Jaehwan smiled, a summer sun in the middle of winter.

 

“So how many apartments did you manage to get money out of before you came to mine?”

“Hmm… I think maybe eleven?”

“ _Eleven_? Damn, you are a scam artist.”

“And you’re a bitch boy.”

“How? I didn’t cave, no matter how annoying you got.”

“Yes, but you belong to me now, so I won in the end.”

“I guess you did. Now come here and let me kiss you again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Banged this out in one night. Sorry if it's not perfect. I still think it's cute though!  
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments, I love you all~
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://alette-stars.tumblr.com/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/alette_star) and [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/alette_star)! 
> 
> Merry Christmas and happy holidays!


End file.
